


Into The Jungle

by LembraginiCC



Series: Fair Game Week 2020 [5]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe, But only a little, Canon-Typical Violence, Consensual Mind Control, M/M, Major Character Injury, Minor Character Death, Partial Mind Control, fairgameweek2020, kinda junglebook au, naga!Clover
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-02-22 21:29:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23234026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LembraginiCC/pseuds/LembraginiCC
Summary: Fair Game Week Day 5 - Hurt/ComfortQrow's on a mission to kill a scorpion and ventures into a weird jungle with even weirder inhabitants. However, one of those residents takes a liking to him.
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi
Series: Fair Game Week 2020 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1667803
Comments: 8
Kudos: 48





	Into The Jungle

**Author's Note:**

> als;kfjdsadlfj i didn't finish this so the actual comfort will be in the second chapter. I didn't want to rush it and ruin it lol but I won't be able to write much until i finish the rest of fg week SO, feel free to ignore this story until I write the comfort.

Clover, if asked, wouldn’t call himself a ruler, king, emperor or any other name implying that he held power over anyone else in this jungle. Others would say differently, whispering to newcomers that he is to be respected and his words to be treated as Law. While Clover appreciated the order he kept, it would have been preferred without the added fear. He, better than anyone, understood the kind of power he held and tried to use it responsibly. Because of that, he took it upon himself to maintain peace in the jungle, especially amidst rumors of a fabled witch in a far-off land looking to overrule the Gods.

Clover preferred to handle dangers he could see, but he would never discount a threat out of hand. This was why he found himself trailing a newcomer to his jungle. A human. They rarely came this deep without good reason, and with the haste this person was traveling with, it must’ve been a terribly good reason indeed.

They flitted from tree to tree with no hesitation, as if they had grown up in this very jungle. Their singlemindedness implied they had a set destination in mind, so Clover decided to follow instead of intercept. Were he less skilled or less familiar with this jungle, they would’ve already noticed him. Despite that, there were numerous occurrences where Clover had to camouflage himself in the vegetation to avoid being seen when this stranger had stopped abruptly to scan their surroundings. They had good instincts matched with experience and skill, but they were still no match for Clover when they walked the grounds of his domain.

They slowed down as they approached one of the ancient temples that had been abandoned by their original denizens. Surrounded by dense jungle, it would not have been found unless one knew it was there. Therefore, it was curious how this stranger knew it was there, unless it wasn’t searching for the temple itself.

Clover knew of a faunus who had taken up residence in the temple. He was someone Clover had wanted to keep an eye on, until a potentially greater threat arrived in the form of the human, a species more widely known for intolerance.

Faunus were almost as rarely found in the jungle as humans. As one of the species of natural, non-magical, origin, they usually live closer to technologically driven cities. However, Clover would never begrudge a being searching for sanctuary.

Yes, the human stopped in a tree a distance away from the temple that provided plenty of places to remain out of sight from anyone inside. They must be after the faunus.

Clover decided the time for passivity was over. While he allowed the residents of the forest to settle disputes amongst themselves, this situation seemed more dangerous. From what he’d seen, both the faunus and the human were heavily armed with more advanced weaponry than swords and bows. This situation needed to be handled directly.

* * *

Qrow had been travelling nonstop for hours. After the attack at Oniyuri, Tyrian Callows escaped into the jungle. Qrow had wanted to go after him immediately, but first he needed to see to Ruby and her team. They’d been understandably confused and upset after the deadly encounter, but after caring for Jaune, he left them to track him down.

From previous information gathering missions, he knew of a few separate hide outs Salem’s grunts used, one of the closest ones was in the jungle at an abandoned temple. Considering Ruby had gotten in a good hit or two, he’d probably go somewhere close to lick his wounds.

Qrow regretted that he’d have to reveal his knowledge into their hideouts, but if he managed to take Tyrian out before he could send any distress signal, then his role as a spy won’t be completely wasted.

Of course, this meant he had to kill him here and now. Sitting in this tree, hidden among tangled vines and high above the ground, he scanned the temple for movement. Unfortunately for him, the sun was setting, giving Tyrian the upper hand. Not to mention, the creeping paranoia that had followed him ever since he set foot in this gods forsaken jungle.

Turning away from the temple where he hoped his quarry waited, he sat back against the giant, green trunk of the tree he perched on. Letting out a long, quiet exhale, he tried to tamper down his nerves. Every time he searched for an enemy waiting in the wings, he found nothing. If he was lucky, it was just his paranoid nature getting to him.

He really ought to think twice before mentioning “luck” in any capacity.

Something brushed against his back, and he jerked forwards, eyes opening wide. Before he could even begin to _think_ about what the _fuck_ was behind him, he was already being startled once more by the - person? - hanging from a higher branch in front of him.

A man, beautiful, shirtless, scarred, had a human torso that bled into a large, green scaled tail. Qrow had barely begun his inspection before he made eye contact with-

He grew dizzy. His head felt heavy and stuffed, like a headache without pain. He would’ve thought he was hungover if he didn’t know that he had given his flask to Yang. He swayed on the branch he sat on, perhaps would’ve fallen off if the tree hadn’t moved to grab him. Except-

It wasn’t a tree. The rough texture he felt was not bark but scales to match those of his new acquaintance. The tail that he’d been casually leaning against shifted around him, surrounding his folded legs in a loose coil to keep him from falling off. He should’ve felt threatened. This was a stranger who surprised him out of nowhere, who’d most definitely been the one following and watching him, and now he was being surrounded. Another segment of tail dropped from above, wrapping around his torso and trapping his arms.

He knew, in some distant part of his mind, that he should be panicking. But he only felt… still.

“Careful there, wouldn’t want you to fall.” That voice. _That voice._ It burrowed deep into his mind as he stared into eyes that shifted color. He wanted nothing more than to please this man and to keep him talking.

“You’ve been running through the jungle for awhile. Why?”

Qrow unstuck his tongue from the top of his mouth, “T-Tyrian. Tyrian Callows. I think he’s hiding here.” Nothing could break his gaze from those _eyes._

“Tyrian, hm. Who is he?” Qrow shivered. This, this felt- _uncomfortable_. That voice was crooning so softly, he trusted it implicitly. But. Tyrian is a secret, isn’t he? He, he _needed_ to answer this man’s question. So- so he’d only share what he could. He could keep his oath of silence while still obeying.

“He’s an enemy. A servant of- our enemy. I _have_ to stop him.”

The man hummed. The tail shifting, brushing against Qrow’s thigh and he twitched. “Why must you stop him? Who does he serve?”

Not even this beautiful man and his smooth voice could keep Qrow’s lip from curling into a snarl, “He attacked my niece. He hurt her friend. If left unchecked, he’ll hurt countless others for his master.” Qrow shivered, this is a stranger who’s asking for secrets, “I- his master. She, _ugh,_ I-I _can’t-!”_ Qrow struggled, the fuzziness was slowly bleeding from his mind. He jerked his arms, but the iron grip of the tail stayed strong. He was _so_ close. Just a little longer and he could _think-_

The man quickly shushed him. Drifting closer, “Be calm, there is no need to tell me more than what you believe is necessary. There is nothing to worry about, nothing to fear.” The words were so soft, like a lullaby putting him at ease. For a moment longer, he still fought that sense of calm, but- why? He could keep his secrets, he was safe. There was no reason to resist. His grimace smoothed out and he swayed towards this handsome stranger with the enchanting voice. The tail loosened around his torso, scales rubbing over skin as it partially unwound itself, yet it remained on him, its weight heavy on Qrow’s thighs. The tail coiled slightly around the outside of his thighs, overlapping itself and creating a bigger barrier to prevent him from falling off.

“Isn’t this a pleasant surprise. A beautiful face with a heart of gold,” the man smiled down at him and reached out to lightly hold his chin between thumb and forefinger. “Humans like you are hard to find this far out. Hm, yes. I will help you.”

Qrow struggled to think, “Why, why would you help me? This is my fight.”

The thumb started rubbing his mouth and Qrow’s eye lids lowered and his mouth parted. He felt, in some distant part of his mind, that he had to remain on guard, but why? He was being so kind.

The man raised his other hand, resting his chin on the back of his hand, “If this man is as dangerous as you say, he needs to be taken care of before he hurts anyone else. Not to mention how he hurt your family. Of course I’ll help you.” He smiled a kind smile, soft and barely there at the edges of his mouth. Qrow wanted to smile back.

“I’ll make my way to the temple. You are more familiar with this enemy than I, so you’ll attack, and I’ll follow your lead.” He took his hand back and Qrow leaned forward to follow it, to chase that soft touch. Laughing, the man gently took him by the shoulders and set him back against the tree, as his tail unwound from its coil around his body. “Be careful and stay there for now. It’d be a shame to lose you to a fall when we are just starting to get to know each other.” With a last teasing wink, he turned and vanished up into the trees.

Qrow blinked. His head still felt fuzzy, but was slowly clearing, like clouds parting to reveal a sunny day. He lifted a hand to his head to hold it steady, and the tail around him fell away. Yelping, he shifted to maintain balance as the _huge_ tail slithered up and around the tree.

Breathing deeply and shakily, Qrow simply sat there for a moment.

“What the f-“

* * *

Crouched on top of a cracked ledge, Qrow pushed aside some vegetation to peer into the temple. It was expansive and sprawling, far larger than it first appeared. There were statues standing and collapsed, all in different stages of disrepair, looming in the darkness. Holes in the ceiling let vines hang down into the open air and granted moonlight to illuminate the dilapidated interior. The shadows ran deep, playing along the walls and accentuating long edges and sharp angles. Most of the temple seemed to be completely overtaken by nature, and it was hauntingly beautiful. Qrow wished he had time to appreciate it.

Peering inside, he found signs of recent habitation. A small, spread out pile of branches were probably the remains of a campfire. In a corner, wedged between broken slabs of stone, was a lump of shrubbery that would make a decent bed in a pinch. But most significantly, Qrow smirked, there were streaks and spots of blood.

Unfortunately, his quarry was not to be seen from Qrow’s position at an opening on the side of the temple. He didn’t want to venture further in the dark to look for him. Plus, he had that _ally_ of his to consider. Some type of faunus, perhaps? No, Qrow remembered how his cognitive thinking was thrown out the window as soon as he made eye contact. And speaking of eye contact, that must’ve been related to his- Semblance? Powers? It didn’t feel natural. In fact, the entire jungle had a sense of _otherness_ to it that discouraged him from shifting. That same tingling he got when Ozpin used his own magic.

Over the course of his life, he’d heard about places that were _off_. Places where people went and disappeared. Places where impossible things happened on the regular. On scouting missions for Oz, he’d even traveled to some of those places. He’d grown up in these places. They all felt similarly to this jungle. Qrow didn’t know what that meant for this mission.

Shaking those thoughts away, he focused back on his mission. Magic or no, ally or no, he’d be able to take on an injured Tyrian so long as he kept his head. However, that meant finding the bastard in the first place.

Internally sighing, he creeped along the outer wall, keeping to shadows and behind vegetation whenever he could. Peering through every opening he came across, he couldn’t see a glimpse of Tyrian.

Where the hell was he?

He was about to move on when a shadow moved. Jerking down, he squinted between vines and saw- green? A brief flash of light reflecting off of scales? Huh. Maybe that stranger was going to help him after all. Shady as he was with his mental manipulation, Qrow couldn’t begrudge him his caution. Well. Maybe a little. No one liked having their head played with, even if it was by a handso- nope. Focus, Qrow.

Moving on, Qrow stepped more with more surety in his steps. He didn’t trust this stranger further than he could throw him, and that tail looked heavy, but the enemy of his enemy was his friend after all.

Wait. Qrow stopped as he was about to continue his search. This man had followed Qrow presumably his entire trek through the jungle until he approached him, and Qrow never saw a flash of tail. This man (snake? man-snake? snake-man?) had followed him unseen and unheard despite Qrow’s experience in stealth and subterfuge. He couldn’t be sure, but it was likely the sight was a signal to Qrow, perhaps he knew where Tyrian was.

Mentally shrugging, he dropped into the temple with a roll to quiet his fall. If it wasn’t some sort of sign, then at least he’d be closer to an ally. Qrow decided to trust him. He had Qrow at his mercy, and all he did was question him and promise to help.

Keeping to the opposite side of the temple to where he glimpsed the stranger, and he really needed a name for this guy, he advanced deeper into the temple, following every flash of tail. He came across different statues staring down at him and rooms overgrown with vegetation. Near the end of a hallway, a giant stone head gazing back at him with empty eyes as it laid on stairs heading further down. The tip of a tail was seen through a window in the wall before disappearing in the direction of the stairs. With chills down his spine, Qrow headed down, twisting and sliding between the head and the outer wall in order to stay out of the light.

On the other side, he crept down the stairs and reached the bottom. He crouched behind more broken stone. Keeping his breathing regulated, Qrow went still, listening intently for any sound at all.

Nothing.

This didn’t make sense! Tyrian had a depleted aura along with an injury, he should’ve-

A cackle echoed through the giant chamber. Qrow froze, instincts taking over, before he lowered himself further. Has he been spotted?

“I know you’re there.” _Shit!_ “The supposed _guardian_ of the forest.” What? “I have to say, I was hoping to meet you before I took my leave.”

They must’ve meant the stranger. Qrow decided to call him Handsome. No one had to know but Qrow.

“Tyrian Callows,” Handsome hissed, “Coming here was a mistake you’ll soon regret.” He did not sound as soft as he did with Qrow. Qrow decided he would be flattered when this was over. He inched forward. This chamber of the temple had multiple levels and tall trees sprouting from the ground far below that broke through the ceiling. Across the empty space, Tyrian was posing on a broken column looking forward, away from Qrow.

“Oh, I don’t think so,” he could just imagine the smile splitting that face below sickly, yellow eyes, “I think I’ll be enjoying myself greatly, especially with such an _esteemed_ host.” He bowed, never looking away from Handsome, who was coiled around the least decrepit statue in the furthest alcove. Qrow couldn’t see where his tail ended.

Tyrian was likely stalling. Not only was he injured, but neither of them knew what Handsome was capable of except for mind control. However, Tyrian also had a magically powerful benefactor so who knew if that would even work on him. Damn Her.

Qrow climbed up to the next level using cracks and sturdy vines. It was best to get to high ground and get a clear view of this area while he still could. Who knew when Tyrian’s patience would wear out and the bloodthirst would take hold. He crept to the edge, getting an eye on the situation.

“I’ve heard about you. You bring chaos and misery wherever you go, and it ends here.” Handsome looked much less friendly than he did earlier. Also, Qrow got a better look at him, too, since he was actually capable of cohesive thought. He had thin gold bands around his thick biceps with a wide necklace made from thick gold plates. What stood out the most of his jewelry were his gold cuffs that nearly covered his forearms. They each had a green four-leaf clover insignia and were separated from skin by what looked like dark green fabric. In short, he was hot, and he knew how to accessorize. Hopefully, he also knew how to take care of himself in a fight, because Tyrian fought fast and dirty.

Tyrian laughed maniacally, “You have your place on my Queen’s list, and now it seems I’ll be taking care of you for Her.” Tyrian shot forward, leaping from the column.

But Qrow met him halfway. Tackling him before he could reach Handsome, they tumbled to the ground, rolling before jumping up and away. They faced each other, Handsome high above them now.

“Well if it isn’t the famous Huntsman here for a rematch! How’s the little blonde boy?”

Qrow smirked, Harbinger in sword form held behind his back, “He’s doing just fine,” he tilted his head, “How’s your side?” He dodged sideways, bringing up Harbinger to block Tyrian’s slashes. Jumping and twirling, they slashed at each other, darting around and over debris.

Tyrian cackled, firing off a few shots, prompting Qrow to back off, twirling his sword to block them. Tyrian darted to the side and made to sever the tip of Handsome’s tail, which was just lying there. Qrow sprinted after him.

The tail slithered faster than Qrow would’ve thought possible for a limb of that size, and Tyrian made to follow it when Qrow intercepted him. They glared at each other over crossed blades. Too lost in their rivalry, Tyrian didn’t notice the tail coming up from the side, slapping him viciously, sending him flying into cracked stone, which toppled over.

Stumbling down, Tyrian jumped to the side, immediately having to block Harbinger with a powerful clash that made a nearby statue fall apart. Qrow backflipped out of the way of falling debris, landing in a crouch. He brought an arm up to block the wave of dust, his cape flapping behind him.

Blinking, Qrow couldn’t see Tyrian. Turning and sprinting at the fallen statue, he leaped upwards, jumping from statue to column to tree until he saw a glimpse of tail. Twisting in midair, he rolled until his back was to the tail and he faced outwards, on guard and searching for the slippery bastard.

A creak alerted him, glancing up, Tyrian’s manic smile and the flash of his tail were the last things he saw before a blow to the back of his calves knocked him on his back. Tyrians stinger narrowly missed his chest. Rolling backwards, he raised Harbinger with a twirl to the left, before feinting to the right with a solid kick to Tyrian’s stomach, launching him across the way to the landing on the other side of the temple.

Handsome’s tail, which had narrowly saved his life, slithered off to the side. Qrow had yet to see Handsome face to face again, but he must be biding his time, waiting for opportune moments to assist. Qrow smirked but faltered when he heard a slow laugh.

Tyrian was bent over, laughing more uproariously. Looking up, the expression on his face was wild and feral. Qrow stared impassively back, leaning forward and preparing for anything.

Tyrian lunged forward and Qrow leapt to meet him halfway. Qrow sliced at him, but Tyrian ducked underneath, stabbing upwards. Qrow dodged but got knocked out of balance. Tyrian jumped down off a lower branch to get back to the ground. Qrow twisted in midair and a segment of tail looped under him, catching him around his back. He grabbed on, and slid down, falling to the ground with a roll that ended with him bringing up Harbinger to block a downward slice from Tyrian.

Qrow transformed Harbinger into a scythe and struck at Tyrian. He leaped backwards, cartwheeling, and his scythe got lodged in the ground. Tyrian cackled and made to lunge for him. Qrow flicked a switch, and the scythe’s blade straightened, shifting to a war scythe and launching Qrow up and over Tyrian. He twisted, planting his boots on Tyrian’s back and jumped off. Tyrian crashed to the ground and made to roll before Handsome smacked him again, sending him flying into debris.

Tyrian growled furiously before launching a series of attacks at Qrow, flipping and spinning around with both blades and stinger. He was pushed more into shadows, and, just Qrow’s luck, he slid over loose rock.

“Gah!” Qrow cried. Looking down, the stinger struck him in the side, where Tyrian had also been hurt. He stumbled back, and Tyrian lunged.

The tip of Handsome’s tail came from above, whipping at Tyrian so fast Qrow couldn’t see the movement. Tyrian was thrown into a wall for a third time, and he screeched. Qrow stood upright, not without struggle. A segment of tail came from a different direction and supported him. This close, he can see that their were lighter green circles decorating the tail. Taking a breath, he pushed off, stepping towards Tyrian. This needed to end, now.

“Hey guardian!” He called out, “Mind giving me a hand?” Tyrian growled.

He heard an echoing laugh and shuddered. Amping up his Semblance, he sprinted forward, twirling his scythe. Tyrian met him blow for blow and when Qrow stumbled after a punch to his wound, a hook came out of nowhere, entrapping his tail and yanking him backwards with a shout. Qrow darted forward, headbutting Tyrian in the face and sent a roundhouse kick that he was only barely able to block.

They jumped apart, stumbling as the ground beneath them cracked and shifted. Qrow ran forward, slashing from the side. Tyrian jumped over, their blades meeting above Qrow’s head. Twisting around to face him, pain surged and he gasped, falling to the ground. Tyrian grinned and made to attack before ducking under a tail swipe. He jerked up with a laugh that faltered with a choke when the hook came whipping back around, tying up his hands and gauntlets.

Qrow lunged forward, ducking the stinger, and raised Harbinger, ignoring the pain. Tyrian tried to dodge but was struck in the back by Handsome’s tail, crushing him to the ground, which cracked even further. With a quick twirl, Qrow raised Harbinger and used the momentum to carry it down.

Tyrian shrieked in pain, Harbinger lodged in his back straight through to stone. He started laughing, coughing up blood. As he lay dying, Qrow didn’t have time to think, before the ground fell apart beneath them. Qrow jumped back, yanking his bloody scythe out and behind him. A piece of ceiling fell, crushing Tyrian and smothering his choking laughs. Qrow ran, but stumbled over the fractured ground. For a moment, he was falling into the abyss beneath the temple before he was caught about the waist with the tail.

He collapsed Harbinger, struggling not to drop it as he was lifted to safety. Finally feeling the pain of all his wounds catching up to him, he blearily looked up to see Handsome wrapped around a tree. He still couldn’t see the entire length of the tail, though.

Carried close, Qrow was finally able to make out facial features. His ally had beautiful teal eyes with green scales trailing down from their corners and over his cheeks. He had pointed ears and a concerned smile.

“That could have been a nasty fall. I saw him hit you, are you alright?” Qrow squinted at him.

“I’m probably about to pass out now.” Handsome’s eyes widened. He said something, but Qrow was already losing consciousness. He would have slipped if he weren’t grabbed by more human hands. _Thanks, Handsome._ Then passed out.

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by art by mr-blind on tumblr! He gave me permission to write this! And he’s helped me get inspiration and stuff


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